This invention relates to sulkies and particularly those adapted for pulling by a horse for racing purposes.
Light, racing type sulkies have been known and used for quite some time. These two wheel vehicles generally have a pair of transversely spaced thills which are connected together at the rear by one or more cross members. A single seat is provided for the driver and this can be mounted on one or more of the cross members.
There are a number of known problems with the commonly used sulkies. A major problem arises from the fact that most sulkies do not have any suspension or shock absorbing mechanism for the two wheels which are generally mounted on shafts rigidly connected by metal brackets to tho main frame. Thus the only built-in shock absorbing mechanism in these known sulkies is the air in the rubber tires and possibly small springs under the single seat.
Further difficulties with the known sulkies arise from the location of the scat which is positioned generally in the same horizontal plane as the main frame of the sulky. This known seat arrangement requires the driver to sit in an unnatural, back stressing position with his legs up higher than the seat and his shoulders hunched forward. Because of this, back strain is common amongst sulky drivers. The position of the seat in the known sulkies can also make it difficult for the driver to see ahead of the horse since the seat is quite low and positioned immediately behind the horse.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,730 issued Jan. 23, 1979 to S. A. Yunick describes a racing type sulky that does have springs and shock absorbers arranged between the mainframe and the wheels. In one described version of a sulky, each of the two wheels is mounted on a fork member that extends downwardly at an incline from an end portion of a cross member of the mainframe. A shock absorber and spring assembly has its lower end connected at a point adjacent the wheel axle while its upper end is pivotally connected to the aforementioned cross member. The single seat is mounted immediately to the rear of the cross member and is connected thereto.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a sulky that is comfortable to ride and easy to use. It is a further object of the invention to provide a sulky that is relatively easy to construct and maintain and can be made at a reasonable cost.